Old Comrades

Posted on Mon Feb 6th, 2023 @ 7:03am by Captain Tristan Faust & Lieutenant Commander Marc Kitchner M.D. & Commodore Brian Anderson
Edited on on Tue Feb 14th, 2023 @ 10:29am

1,691 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Mission 2: Rendezvous At Starbase 10
Location: Starbase 10: Captain Nemo's
Timeline: M2 MD01 (2268.6.03) 1800

Captain Nemo's was the swankiest restaurant on Starbase 10, known for a plethora of Terran and more exotic food. The restaurant's signature features were floor to ceiling windows with views of space for all diners.

Captain Faust stepped into the restaurant. Instead of his Captain's uniform, he wore a grey sport coat with a glen check pattern, a white dress shirt and a narrow necktie with a red and blue regimental stripe pattern going down it. He approached the concierge and said, "Reservation for three under Commodore Anderson."

The concierge guided Tristan down the steps towards perhaps the best seat in the house, a view of the Midway in all her glory. The ship was somehow even more beautiful from this angle as it had been in the inspection pod only two weeks ago. He was ushered to a large U shaped booth. He undid the button of his sports jacket and sat down.

Marc had met Anderson only twice before, but he appreciated the invite all the same. As they approached the table he stopped to look at Midway from an angle, he may not be an engineer but he could appreciate a thing of beauty when he saw it.

"Breathtaking, isn't she?" Tristan asked his old friend. He was slightly giddy with the visage of his ship filling everyone's view.

"She's a good looking lady alright." Marc said with a smirk.

A few minutes passed before a waiter in Kelly green slacks and white shirt with matching green vest approached. "Evening gent's. I'm guessing you are guests of the Commodore being at this table. Can I get you something while you wait?"

"Bourbon, three fingers, on the rocks." Marc said shifting further into the booth.

"Yes," Tristan responded, "A gin martini... Orange slice... If you give me an onion it's going back."

The waiter nodded and took off promptly towards the bar.

Tristan looked down at the antique Bulova on his wrist, "The Commodore should be here by now," he said.

The old man chuckled. "Relax. Give the man a few minutes. About the same time you were graduating high-school I was the ECMO of Baltimore Medical Center and a guest professor at Penn Medical University in Philadelphia. The only time I had peace and quiet was the weekly 3 hour drive between the two. I quickly learned not to set firm appointments. My assistant Wendy would drive while I read patient files or responded to stuff that had built up. It's almost the same thing with me working in the lounge instead of my office," Marc said.

"You're not the only one who works in the lounge," Tristan reminded him, "And I bet I get paged more times during the night than you do." The waiter returned with their drinks.

Marc took a sip from his glass. "It helps having a second shift. I'm surprised Heartfilia doesn't do more."

Brian Anderson was glad to be off duty. The meeting he left was the worst he'd been in the past several weeks. He stepped over to his table. "Gentlemen .... You know he was the best Navigator I ever had on the Ticonderoga." He pointed towards Tristan.

"He's my godson, and a good kid. How are ya Brian?" Marc asked raising his glass.

"I'm good Kitch, how about yourself." Brian said taking a seat alongside Tristan. Tristan sat there with a 'How do you two know each other?' look on his face.

"He was the best man at a wedding where I was giving the bride away at. We ended up spending most of the night haunting the bar." Marc said taking another swallow from his glass. "I'm doing pretty well thanks. This one talked me into getting back into space, it's been all beer and skittles so far." He threw a thumb towards Tristan.

"So, I was the best navigator, how about best first officer?" Tristan asked with a smirk. Tristan's last posting before being posted to the Captaincy was the executive officer and navigator aboard the Ticonderoga, a venerable old Ares class cruiser. Not long afterwards Anderson was promoted to Commodore and assigned to Starbase 10. "I tell ya, somethings never change, you're still my boss," Tristan commented.

"And after a day like today ...." Brian started saying as the waiter arrived at the table with another round of drinks. "Thanks Tommy." He said as another round of drinks were set on the table.

"Sure thing sir. Skim over the menu guys, I'll be back in as few." Tommy said picking up the empty glasses.

Marc pulled his readers from his pocket and started scanning the menu. "Word has it Brian, you only invite people to your table when you have stuff on your mind. So what's up?"

"I'm sure it's just Brian wanting to wine and dine old friends eh?" Tristan responded, "I for one could use a non-reconstituted meal." He chuckled.

"In this case it's both." Brian looked through the glass, the green liquid causing an interesting hue to the world behind it. "You two are old friends, and I have a special problem I need people I can trust to tend to it."

"I knew it." Marc said laughing. "Man is a creature of habit if nothing else." Marc swirled the ice around in his glass.

Brian flipped the menu over. "But first I'm hungry and I need to tie on the feed bag in the worst way. Six hour meetings are for the birds and bureaucrats."

Tommy came back to the table. "What can I get you boys?"

Marc had the Hungarian mushroom soup, with Polish dumplings and smoked sausage. Brian ordered the chicken fried steak. Tristan a New York strip steak."

Another round of drinks and the food arrived.

"So Brian, are you going to enlighten me as to what the job is or are going to make us wait until after dinner?" Tristan asked.

"Do either of you know General Council Saint John Talbot? The pompous and obnoxious yutz that he is." Brian said cutting into his steak. "He and two aides need transportation to Nimbus III. Once you get him there, you'll meet with the Romulan and Klingon representatives, and then to parts unknown. After that a long range patrol for 2 months probably longer, depending on how things go around here before coming back here for supplies." He said dunking a chunk of steak into the mashed potatoes.

"Now that sounds like something that would work for a proper shakedown cruise." Marc said wrapping his knuckles on the table. He grabbed a roll and began wiping the side of the bowl.

"I've met Talbot before, and he always seemed to me more perpetually annoyed than pompous or obnoxious," Tristan responded. He sighed at the long range patrol, part of him was hoping they would be given orders to investigate the Defiant's disappearance but it sounds like Starfleet Command still wasn't seeing it his way. Figures... "In that case I would hope you give us some time aboard station," he said," Even though we were only out of dock for two weeks, they were grueling two weeks on a young and inexperienced crew."

"You haven't had to sit captive with the man." Anderson said polishing off the last of his steak. "Are you going to eat that last dumpling Doc?" Marc shook his head and slid the plate closer. "Thanks, I swear being bored to tears gives me an unending apatite." He stabbed last chunk of dumpling with his fork. "I've already had a note from your Engineer, apparently he sent a shopping list as long as my arm. You'll be here a few more days at least, so rest easy."

Tommy came back to the table. "Can I talk you boys into some desert? Commodore, the baker made a chocolate chiffon pie just this morning...." He grinned.

Anderson had been aboard less than 6 months and they were getting to know him better than his wife. "A small piece."

"Just coffee for me." Marc said half belching as he spoke. "Thanks."

"How about a slice of apple pie and coffee," Tristan responded, "I hope it's real." He was tired of stale synthetic apple pie and he never had time to sit and cook.

"Our baker tries to keep things as non replicated as possible." Tommy said smiling. "I'll be right back gents."

As the waiter walked off Brian lowered his voice. "Marc that meeting you asked for can be as soon as tomorrow if you want it. I looked over everything you and Lt. Zon sent, and I agree with you both."

Marc looked over at Tristan judging his reaction. "I need to meet with your chief surgeon, and I do that tomorrow morning. Can we make it for later in the day?"

"Absolutely." Brian said trying not to drool looking at the pie set in front of him. "Thanks Tommy."

"Mike Amato talked to the officer in question a few days ago," Tristan said, "Sounds like he sees the writing on the wall and will just accept his fate... So try and make it as painless as possible."

Marc spooned some sugar into his coffee giving him time to think. "I'd rather it that way." He said more to himself.

"Agreed." Brian said pulling the spoon from his mouth. "Tris, what ever happened to that little Andorian you were sweet on back on the Ti? The one in the Stellar Mapping section." He took another bite from his pie.

The Captain sighed, "She went back to Andoria and went through with her arranged marriage," he responded, "Oh well, it happens..."

"Pitty, nice girl as I remember." Brian said wiping up the last of the chocolate custard from the place with his fingertip. He stifled a hard yawn. "Gentlemen, it's been a pleasure, but if I sit here any longer I'm gonna need a pillow." Brian stood up slowly polished off the last of his drink. "Night fellas."

Marc and Tristan stayed a little while longer before leaving themselves. The slowly made their way back to Midwaychatting as they went.

 

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